Three Sheets Brewing and Wismer House owner Jeff Carver stands next to one of the new brewing tanks at the craft brewery. Their four flagship beers will be available in house as of December 20 with a retail outlet expected to open in January, 2020.
Hub Staff
Beginning Friday, after months of planning, building, brand development, and testing, patrons to The Wismer House will be able to enjoy the new beverages of Port Elgin's first ever craft brewery, Three Sheets Brewing, in-house on tap.
The new brewery, an extension of The Wismer House, is set to launch its four flagship beers, Idle & Coast (lager), Road Closure (red ale), Slo Pitch, (pilsner), and New Wave (India pale ale) December 20 with a retail store, where patrons will have the opportunity to purchase the beer in cans, as well as merchandise, expected to open in January, 2020.
It has been a busy year for Three Sheets Brewing and The Wismer House owner Jeff Carver, who said he started building the idea in February of this year. The official announcement came in May.
“Over the summer and from that point on what we really spent the bulk of the time doing was planning for the construction, sourcing and ordering the equipment and the tanks, meeting with the tradespeople that were going to do the work, having architectural and engineering drawings and developing the concept,” Carver said.
Construction of the extension started at the beginning of October. “Two and a half months from the first backhoe shovel going in the ground to the project being completed,” said Carver, praising the tradespeople who had worked on the project. “The guys that we've had working on it deserve a ton of credit because it's been a lot of long hours and a ton of work but I couldn't be more proud of the work they've done," he said.
Another big component in the process has been creating recipes for the beers. “It's not been an overnight thing,” Carver said, adding that there has been a lot of trial and error.
“We were committed to getting and brewing beer that we believed that people who live here in Port Elgin and Saugeen Shores are going to like and drink,” said Carver. “That was our goal and we invested a lot of time, energy, and resources,” he said.
So far the feedback has been incredible. "I'm really excited and I'm really proud to just put it out here,” said Carver. “I honestly believe that what we've created and what we're producing is really good and I think that people who come to The Wismer House and that live in Port Elgin and that come and visit the area are really going to like it," he said.
"I think it's another step in creating a destination in downtown Port Elgin," Carver said.
Seasonal brews are also on the horizon for Three Sheets Brewing. “We're going to be doing a winter ale and a vanilla coffee porter with Rabbit Dash,” explained Carver. "We've invested a lot of our time working on that. That's been super exciting.”
The brewery tanks were delivered just last week and are currently being installed and tested. "Now it's the finishing touches and getting ready for the opening and getting ready to share our beer and what we've created with the people who have been supporting us for the last 12 or 13 years," said Carver.
More work will continue in the Spring with a rooftop patio above the brewery. Carver explained that with the addition, their patio size and seating will increase significantly. Having lost three tables on their existing patio, they decided to construct a bar on the rooftop patio.
"Not only have we built a brewery but we've also made our patio better at the same time," said Carver. "That was the goal but it's nice to see that it's happening," he said.
Carver said some of the Three Sheets merchandise they have planned is "outside the box."
"I think people are going to enjoy it," he said, adding that they're looking forward to having a lot of fun with what they sell and being creative in what they do.
The Wismer House will continue to serve all the beverages their customers have come to expect, including other craft beers. "We're not going to be exclusive," Carver said. "There's other great craft beers out there and we're going to continue to sell them.”
Carver said he is proud of what they have produced and built. “I do think it's going to hopefully be something that enhances the downtown here," he said.
The Wismer House announced their new craft brewery in May and revealed their name and brand in October.
